"Midway barker: [last lines] That's all, ladies and gentlemen, that's all. Come again to the greatest show on earth. Bring the children. Bring the old folks. You can shake the sawdust off your feet, but you can't shake it outta your heart. Come again, folks. The Greatest Show on Earth. Come again."

"Charlton Heston - Brad Braden"

"Edmond O'Brien - Narrator"

"Mightiest of Motion Pictures!"

"Narrator: [first lines] We bring you the circus, pied piper whose magic tunes greet children of all ages, from six to 60, into a tinsel and spun-candy world of reckless beauty and mounting laughter and whirling thrills; of rhythm, excitement and grace; of blaring and daring and dance; of high-stepping horses and high-flying stars. But behind all this, the circus is a massive machine whose very life depends on discipline and motion and speed. A mechanized army on wheels, that rolls over any obstacle in its path, that meets calamity again and again, but always comes up smiling. A place where disaster and tragedy stalk the big top, haunt the backyard, and ride the circus train. Where death is constantly watching for one frayed rope, one weak link, or one trace of fear. A fierce, primitive fighting force that smashes relentlessly forward against impossible odds. That is the circus. And this is the story of the biggest of the big tops, and of the men and women who fight to make it "The Greatest Show on Earth.""

"[to Holly, as his blood is being transfused into Brad] If he should make love well after this, pay no attention - it will be me."

"Bob Carson - Ringmaster"

"Lillian Albertson - Buttons' mother"

"The motion picture for everyone!"

"Lawrence Tierney - Mr. Henderson"

"Lyle Bettger - Klaus"

"Listen, sugar, the only way that you can keep me warm is to wrap me up in a marriage license."

"Cornel Wilde - The Great Sebastian"

"James Stewart - Buttons the Clown"

"Dorothy Lamour - Phyllis"

"Gloria Grahame - Angel"

"John Kellogg - Harry"

"Julia Faye - Birdie"

"John Ridgely - Assistant Manager"

"Frank Wilcox - Circus doctor"

"Betty Hutton - Holly"

"Henry Wilcoxon - FBI Agent Gregory"

"Brad Johnson - unnamed reporter"

"Thrill to Cecil B. DeMille's pageantry and excitement!"

"Love! Laughter! Thrills! Wonders! Suspense! Spectacle! Heart!"

"[while Buttons is doing first aid] Buttons! If that detective sees you doing this, he won't need fingerprints!"

"Before the dawn of history, ever since the first man discovered his soul, he has struggled against the forces that sought to enslave him. He saw the awful power of nature arrayed against him—the evil eye of the lightning, the terrifying voice of the thunder, the shrieking, wind-filled darkness enslaving his mind with shackles of fear. Fear bred superstition, blinding his reason. He was ridden by a host of devil gods. Human dignity perished on the altar of idolatry. And tyranny arose, grinding the human spirit beneath the conqueror's heel. But deep in man's heart still burned the unquenchable will for freedom. When this divine spark flames in the soul of some mortal—whether priest or soldier, artist or patriot, lover or statesman—his deeds have changed the course of human events and his name survives the ages. In the village of Zorah, in the land of Dan, 1,000 years before the birth of Christ, lived such a man. In him, the elements had fused greatness and weakness, strength and folly. But with these, was a bold dream—liberty for his nation. The man's name was Samson. For 40 years, the Philistines had held his people in bondage."

"[to Delilah] My eyes could never find more beauty than they see in you."

"[to Samson] Come with me to Egypt. We'll not be Danite and Philistine there, only Samson and Delilah. In the Valley of the Nile, the air will be sweet with myrrh, and only the flight of the ibis will darken the sky. Will you come with me?"

"William Elmer — Guy Townes"

"Walter Long — The executioner"

"Hugo B. Koch — Duke of Burgundy"

"John Oaker — Jean de Metz"

"William Conklin — John of Luxembourg"

"Marjorie Daw — Katherine"

"Lillian Leighton — Isambeau"

"Stephen Gray — Pierre"

"Horace B. Carpenter — Jacques d'Arc"

"Cleo Ridgely — The king's favorite"

"Lawrence Peyton — Gaspard"

"Ernest Joy — Robert de Beaudricourt"

"Wallace Reid — Eric Trent 1431 / Eric Trent 1917"

"Charles Clary — La Tremouille"

"Theodore Roberts — Cauchon"

"Raymond Hatton — Charles VII"

"Hobart Bosworth — Gen. La Hire"

"Geraldine Farrar — Jeanne d'Arc"

"James Neill — Laxart"

"Englishman, there is room in each heart but for one love - mine is for France!"

"God forgive us, we have burned a saint!"